Auto ignition lock



Jan. 27, 1931. B. a. HART ET AL AUTO IGNITION LOCK F iled May 19. 1928 fire 5 1 0 1e 15 INVENTORS flaw 577' fifi wr Q; 54726593425 A. 171?! ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 27, 1931 i UNITED STATES" PATENT OFFICE URNETT B. HART AND BURCHARD L. HART, or SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA AUTO IGNITION LOCK:

Application filed May 19, 1928. Seria'l No. 279,171.

My'invention relates to automobile locks and'more particularly to a lock for controlling the'main battery circuit and-the objects of my inventionare first, to provide a switch by the electric starter and connection of the ignition coil or lights while the switch is locked in the open position; third, to provide a lock controlled switch for a vehicle which is inaccessible without the removal of certain parts of the lock and in which the cables leading to and from the switch are enclosed in metal conduits which cannot be removed or severed without considerable difficulty; 0 fourth, to provide a switch of this description in which the terminals are positioned within the metal case and therefore inaccessible; fifth, to provide a switch contained within a case which is adapted to be secured on the rear side of an instrument board and cannot be removed therefrom without knowledge of the lock combination; sixth, to provide a switch with combination lock in which the lock knob and dial may be'only withdrawn when the lock bolt is withdrawn from the switch operating means; seventh, to provide a lock controlled switch whichmay be readily mounted on the instrument board of any vehicle; and eighth, to provide a switch controlled lock of this description which is compact, economical of structure, simple, easy of manipulation and which will not readily deteriorate or get out of order.

With these and other objects in View as will appear hereinafter, my invention consists of certain novel features of construction, combination and arrangementof parts and portions as will be hereinafter described in detail and particularly set forth in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings andto the characters of reference thereon which form a part of this application in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of the combination lock and switch operating member mounted on the front of the instrument board of a vehicle, aportion of the lock dial being broken away in'order to show the concealed securing. means; Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken alongthe line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing certain portions in elevation; Fig. 3 is a section'al view taken along the line '33 of Fig. 2 showing certain portions in elevation and'other portions broken away in order to facilitate the view of the illustration; Fig. 4 is a. sectional view taken along the line 44 of Fig.

8,-indicating in full and dotted lines the position assumed by the locking, mechanism; and Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5+5 of'Fig. 8, showing'the arrangement of the'switch and leadconnectiontherewith.

Similar charactersiof referencerefer to simllar parts and .port1ons thr.oughout the several views of the drawlngs.

The casing'l, combination lock mechanism mounted within and at the 'forwardportion of the casingl. Thelock casing, designated 2, is supported at the upper end of the casing 1 on suitable brackets 14 which may be made in L form, the onelcg. thereof being secured to the side of the casing, the other leg extending'inwardly for su'pportii'ig the combination lock2 which is-secured to said brackets by meansof suitable screws 2a screwed into corresponding threaded holes in thebracket 14. 'The outer surface of the lock mechanism casing 2 is substantially flush with the edges of the casing 1. The lengthjof the casing is sufficient to allow the bolt 2?) of the lock mechanismlto be extended toits normal lockingposition, as best shown. in Fig.

2 of the drawings.

Rearwardly of the lock mechanism 2 I provide switch mechanism including the base member which may be mounted on supports 13 secured to the lock mechanism casing 2. A conventional knife blade switch 9 including the pivot member 10 and contact clip 11 are supported on the base 12 which is made preferably of insulating material. The free end of the knife blade 9 is provided with an operating lever member 9?) loosely, piv tally secured to the blade 9 by means of he pin 9a. The knife blade switch 9 is adapted to be opened and closed by means of the push and pull rod 8 which is secured at its one end to the lever member 9?) and is slidably supported in the bushing 5a which is secured to the face plate 5. The knob 7 is i'cmovably secured to the outer end of the rod 8 enabling the latter to be readily moved backward and forward for operating the switch. The outer end of the bolt 26 is provided'with a slot which enables the bolt to be slid over the reduced portion 8a of the pull rod 8, as clearly shown in Fig. 3. The slot in the bolt 26 is adapted to register with the reduced portion 8a of the rod when the switch is in its open position, as shown in Fig. 2, so that it is impossible to withdraw the pull rod 8 when the bolt is in this position, thus preventing the switch blade 9 from being brought into contact with the clip 11. The operation of the bolt 2?) is of course carried out by the correct manipulation of the combination lock by means of the stem 4. The knob 4a is secured to the outer end of the stem l which extends through the lock mechanism casing and is adapted to be withdrawn from the lock mechanism. The dial 3 which is secured to the outer end of the stem 4: and is rotatable therewith, is normally positioned in a suitable circular opening in the face plate 5. The casing 1 is secured by means of screws 20 entering the outer side of the clock mechanism casing 2, to the instrument board B. These screws are normally concealed by the dial 3.

In order to remove the casing 1 from the instrument board B the knob 4a and dial 3' must therefore be withdrawn. In order to prevent this being done by unauthorized persons, the stem 4': is provided at its inner end with a reduced portion 4?), the inner margin thereof being substantiallyfiush with the rear surface of the lock mechanism casing 2. A bifurcated locking plate 6 is adapted to be shifted into and out of engagement with the reduced portion 4?) on operation of the bolt 26. The outer end portions 6a of the bi furcated member are laterally offset and secured on either side of the slot in the outer ends of the bolt 2?) so that the bifurcated portions are adapted to straddle the rod 8 when the bolt 26 is extended. The free end of the locking plate 6 is adapted to slide in between the laterally ofiset portion 13a of the bracket 13 which acts as a guide, and the rear surface of the lock mechanism 2.' Oppositely disposed shoulders are provided at the inner end of the locking plate arm 6a, the shoulders being spaced apart sufiicientl'y to enable the reduced portion 4?) of the stem l to be accommodated between them, when the locking plate 6 is shifted to its outer position by extending the bolt 26. The shoulders 66 effectively prevent the stem la from being withdrawn, when the switch is locked in its open position. As clearly shown in Fig. 4; the push and pull rod 8 and stem 4a are both locked when the switch is open, the bolt 26 and locking plate 6 occupying the position shown in full lines in Fig. 4. When the bolt 2 a iswithdrawn the push and pull rod 8 and stem la are released, as indicated by the positions of the bolt and locking plate shown in dotted lines in Fig. 4.

In order to prevent tampering with the conductors leading to the switch terminals, the latter arepreferably enclosed in the metal conduits 15 and 16, shown best in Fig. 5. The latter are secured to the casing 1 in any conventional manner, such as by means of the nuts 17 and 18 positioned on the inner side of the casing. The ends of the cable may be connectedby conventional connectors C to the switch terminal, as shown best in Fig. 5. extending the metal conduits over the length of the cable connected with the switch member and locking them to the casing in the manner described, it becomes ractically impossible for an unauthorized person to short circuit the switch while any effort to remove the casing from the instrument board B is equally defeated by the inaccessibility of the screws securing the casing to the board.

It is obvious from the construction as illustrated in the drawings and described in the foregoing specification that there is provided a device as aimed at and set forth in the objects of the invention, and though I have shown and described a particular construction, combination and arrangement of parts and portions I do not wish to be limited to this particular construction, combination and arrangement but desire to include in the scope of my invention the construction, combination and arrangement substantially as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a casing, a combination lock mechanism including bolt means supported therein, a normally operable switch supported in said casing, a normallyremovable stem for operating said lock mechanism and shifting said bolt means, a dial secured to ant. removable with said stem for concealing means for securing said casing to avehicle instrument board, said bolt means being adapted to lock said switch in inoperative position and lock said stem and dial against removal thereof from said lock mechanism.

2. In a device of the class described, a casing, a combination lock mechanism including a bolt supported within said casing, a

switch supported within said casing, a push and pull rod connected to said switch for operating same, a reduced portion in said rod, a slot in said bolt adapted to register with said reduced portion and lock said rod in inoperative position, a normally removable stem for operating said combination lock and controlling said bolt, and locking means operable with said bolt adapted to prevent withdrawal of said stem when said rod is locked in inoperative position. 3. In a device of the class described, a oasing, a combination lock mechanism, including a bolt supported within said casing, a switch supported within said casing, a push and pull rod connected to said switch for operating same, said rod extending substantially at right angles to said bolt, a reduced portion in said rod, a slot in the end of said bolt adapted to register with said reduced portion when the bolt is extended and the switch in open position, means for securing said casing to the rear of an instrument board, a normally removable stem for operating said combination lock, a dial secured to said stem and adapted to conceal said securing means, and a bifurcated locking plate secured to the outer end of said bolt and adapted to register with a reduced portion on said stem and prevent the withdrawal thereof whensaid bolt is extended.

4. In a device of the class described, an open ended metal switch casing, a combination lock casing secured to the open end of said casing, the outer surface of said lock casing being substantially flush with the edges of said switch casing, a switch positioned in the rear of said lock casing and within said switch casing, a push and pull rod extending from the switch to the open end of said switch casing for operating said switch, means for securing said switch casing to the rear of a vehicle instrument board,

a face plate for positioning on the front of said instrument board, said plate having a bushing for slidably supporting said rod, a knob adapted to be secured to the outer end of said rod for operating same, a circular aperture in said plate, a removable lock operating stem includingdial adapted to register with said aperture and to conceal said casing securing means, and bolt means for locking said rod and preventin removal of said stem when said rou is locked.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands at San Diego, California, this 11th day of May, 1928.

- BURNETT B. HART.

BURCHARD L. HART. 

